Telegraph transmitter



P 1943- i M. E. HANSON 2,329,531

TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Filed May 5, 1942 Patented Sept. 14, 1943 n lie tibaiiayls, 1942,,sel1 1 No. 441,828 1 '22 cranes (outrages) This-invention relates;generallytoztelegranhers keys :and, pertains particularly to (keys .'%0f :the type wherein dot and dash messages'are ssenl? automatically #by sudden checkingaai the 'mentioia'vibratorspring..

object 10f rthe :pre'sent Einvention :istto aprovide a telegraph wherein a: single rkeyrmember or arm :is employed for selectively zimpartingxmovement=t-o adjacent hpivotally mounted arm-s rto which are connected noontacti ca-rrving vibrator springs, Whereby, by :regulating the vibration peried-tof each spring, 'heth dots :and dashes :may he sent entirelyautomatically. 1 v

.Another :object' of the invention "is .to i'provide ag key construction employing a rnovelwarrange:

ment of a control key witherespect to apairlof oscillating arm's whereby :actuation of athezcdn- ,trol key inwone direction will efiect the "oscillationof .one arm and {oscillation ofrthe 'otherarm conection I mmsmprsasne isnaeedverticali-legs:t2:and

The, invention will ab e best, :understood fa Consideration y-of the -follow-ing detailed description taken in connection with theraccompanying drawing, it. being understood, however, that the invention is :not to heconsideied .as limited by the specific illustration --.ordBSQI'iPt'iOHfbIl-t that ferred .eiribodimenhof the inventien. .In the drawing:

suchillustrationanddesoriptionieonstitute avnrea I Figure 1. is .a view .in tap .piamefithe telegraphkey embodyingthepresentinvention. a 4 Figure 2 is .a transversesection-tal en on the line'l-2.of.Figure 1. V ,Eigure 3 is.a"longitudinalsection taken-.on-the line 3--'.3of Figure l. j; ,"Figure 4 is sectional view taken). substantially onthe'line'4--4'of'Figu1-.er1. I v Fig; "5 is a. transverse section Ltaken -.on=.line 5+5 o'fFig.,1. g

Referring more particularly to the drawing,

the base of 'thetelegraph .or transmitter-is -.indi- I inverted substantially U-shapedInamewhichds indicated generally by 'thefniiineral l l fllhis the horizontal qballfil 3. :WhlChzGQD-HGCtS --.the upper endsrof the legs, as shewninrFigureQ, 7

Integral the bar :13 at the transverse :center-qthereo'f :is the'shortrearwardly extending stud l4 through which is formed vertically a-thteaded V screw ;-passage, not shown; "Di'rectlyv lheneathilhe passageloi the-stud. -l4 therbase I 0 subports a ,ieot bearing 5.rwhich is aligned with the apertur -0f thesstud 'for the purpose hereinafter described.

w :Each oigthe legs I Zh-asiormed.integrallytherewith, m spaced relation with the base lllythe studs ifi and I1, respectivelmsmd the studs/of one side are=at the-same elevation ras :tho sezat the otherside. :a,- 1 Threaded through the stud M is :[a keypivot screw (l8;. -the lower end of which-is suitabl-ysrecessed (not shown, to receive the =pointed Mnner endmf the :key pivotshaft-l.9, ;=the lower end of which-engages in the afoot bearing 15, as shown in E ure 3. This shaft passes through zandis secured to :the --,short horizontally disposed --l;ey bar 25} and; this harhas secured against the eppesitegfaees ;;of; (the rear [end portion thereof the two key wings 2L and :22 which wareadiustablyse cured ;t0 the key. bar by-screws '23. .lhe right handwin-g Z2 --is.-.setls1ight1y forwardly of theleft hand wing -24, as showndn Figures 1 and 3, the

wing 2 I being engagedby the operators :thun b while the ether-Wing is -engaged Jey -t-he fgre fingenv f-Ihisgofisetprelationlof :the-wings =-ma kes possihle theactuation of .thekeyrbar with a. maxthrough the framell. land -is toscillatably supported u-pon :a vertical pivot "shaft 27! e These by zthetnumeral .28 -while at their upper-ends athey are pivotally .coupled with :the adjustable pivot 1 screws {2 9 vw hich aare :threadeclthreugh-theibar L3...

Each. of these pivot :screws :o-arries .a PlQCk nut 30 by which it is held intheinecessaryrpesitionuof adjustment. fEhekey-pi-vot screw :IB is likewise secured" by a dockin ,n-ut w-hiclris indicatedby the numeral 48*.

Upon eachlside,.of;.the ley ban -23, at .the .ion- Warden-li f, s ehar-w see d eeniaq sla e. 3 ;v

and each arm shank 25 carries forwardly of its pivot 21 a stop screw 32 which bears against the adjacent contact plate 3|, as shown in Figure 1.

Thus it will be seen that when the key bar 20 is oscillated on its pivot shaft I9 a lateral thrust will be given thereby to the adjacent arm shank 26 to swing theforward ends of the same laterally.

The frame I I carries at each side the horizontal spring tensioningtscrew 33 which is positioned slightly forwardly of the pivot for and in the horizontal plane of the adjacent arm shank 26. Between the inner end of each screw 33 and the adjacent arm shank 26 is interposed an expansion spring 34 which engages against the side of the adjacent bar 26 and urges it to move toward the key bar 20.

Upon opposite sides of the spring tensioning screw are the horizontal movement limiting screws 35 which are threaded through and supported by'the studs I 8 and IL'as shown in Figure l. The rear limiting screw for each arm shank 26 has the rear end of the shank constantly pressed thereagainst, while the forward screw 35 has its end slightly spaced from the forward end of the arm shank. 1

The forward end of the shank 26 of arm 24 has secured thereto one end of a relatively long ribbon spring 36, while the opposite arm 25 has the forward end of the shank portion 26 connected with an end of a shorter ribbon spring 31. These springs at their forward ends are connected with bars 38 which are supported by these springs for horizontal oscillatory movement. These bars-38 carry balance weights 39 which are adjustably secured on the bars as shown.

Between the forward ends of the weight bars 38 are disposed two posts 40 each of which is bifurcated at its upper end and in the bifurcation of each post is disposed a braking or damping 'device in the form of a metallic disk 4| which is slotted, as "indicated at 42, and has extending through the slot thereof the two pins 43 which are disposed one above the other and extend across the bifurcation of the post. The bars 38'bear against these damping devices, as shown in Figure 1, and such devices, being suspended slightly off-center and bearing lightly against the bars 38 cause the arms to always get the same start on each initial movement. Y 7

Mounted upon the rear end portion of each bar 38 is an adjustable member 44 whichhas secured to its outer side one leg of a horizontally disposed, substantially U-shaped contact carrying spring. The spring carried by the arm 24 is indicated by the numeral 45, while thespring carried by the arm'25 is of materially less length than the spring 45 and is indicated by the numeral 46.

The ribbon spring 35 may be a little more than twice the length of the spring 3| and also the spring 45 is about twice the length of the spring 46. ter of the instrument, while the spring 46 is the dot sending transmitter. 'Each of these springs isa contact spring and carries at the extremity of the free leg thereof a contact 41 which is adapted to have intermittent contact with the contact screw 48 mounted upon and extending through the terminal-post 49 which is mounted on and insulated from the base I0. v

"The terminal posts 49 are electrically coupled together by a current carrier disposed beneath the base and shown in dotted outline in Figure 1, such carrier being indicated by the numeral 50, and this carrier is in turn electrically connected The spring 45'is'the dash sending'transmit-,

with the terminal post 5| which is mounted on and insulated from the base ID. Adjacent the post 5| is a second terminal 52 which is electrically connected with the base. These terminal posts 5| and 52 serve for the connection of current carrying wires with the instrument.

In the present instrument a single key piece only is employed, this being the bar 20 having the wings 2| and 22 attached thereto. ingthis bar uponthe pivot l9 it will be seen that lateral thrust may be alternately given to the forward ends of the shanks 26 of the two arms 24 and25. Because of the construction of these two arms it is possible to automatically send dashes'as well as dots. In sending dots the operator forcesthe wing 2| of the key to the right which swings the forward end of the bar 38 away from the damping device and brings the forward end of the shank 26 of the arm 25 in contact with the forward stop screw 35. This sets up vibrations in the springs 31 and 4550 as'to cause the contact 4'I'to rapidly make and break engagement with the adjacent screw 48, thus causing a series of dots to be sent along the wire in a known manner. -Theseclots will continue to be sent until the resistance and friction overcome the vibration and provided the operator holds the key in the position to which'it was initially put. The same action is obtained by forcing the keyunit to the left by applying the necessary :pressure to the wing 22, except that because of the length of the springs 35 and 45 the vibrations are slower or more prolonged so that the period of contact between the contact-piece 41 of the spring 45 and the adjacent terminal screw 48 will be longer. 3

Because of the novel construction of the present instrument it will be; readily apparent that there is no chance of sending a dot where a dash is intended, or of sending a dash where a dot is intended, and by providing the single key upon an oscillation pivot, working between the shanks of the two arms, it will be readily seen that the desired movement can be imparted to the arms with a minimum of motion of the fingers.

In order to provide for an increasing of the operating or sending speed of the dot sender, there may be provided a second contact upon the spring 46, as indicated at 4l." This second contact is placed near the bend of the spring and because of its position serves to increase the spring tension or resistance between the contact screwand the point of contact on the spring in such a manner that with proper adjustment of the weight 39 on the arm bar as it is possible to cover fully the speed range of the key from the position of highest speed with weight on and speed or rate of vibration with the weight off. In an ordinary type "of-vibrating bar that is designed to form dots there is a severe or extreme jump in speed when the weight is removed. With this type of contact spring carrying the two points 41 and 41', one at the tip of the free arm of the spring and the other at a position near .the bend of the spring, when a slight increase in speedis desired over that obtained when the weight is adjusted for highest speed while on the vibrating bar, the weight may be slid out of the way and the contact spring 46 shifted forwardly along the bar until, the second contact point is opposite the contact screw "43. The spring 45 is then looked in position and the weight readjusted on the bar for the slight increase desired. This, together with the readjustment of the contact screw not only'does' away with the sharp in- By oscillat crease or jump in speed but provides a much higher frequency of vibration if such is desired and greater range of speed.

In addition to the'foregoing, by providing the two contact points upon the spring, another contact may be brought into use quickly should the operator be confronted with a bad or missing point at a critical moment, as aresult of point corrosion or burning from arcing between the key points. This is a situation which sometimes develops. While this advantage is not of such great importance as the advantage to be had from the .provision of the second contact so as to provide for changing the operating or sending speed, it will be apparent that it is a very desirable feature.

Another advantage of the present sending device is its flexibility or variableness of operation The instrument may be ad or performance. justed for tape sending, by which is meant a perfect relationship between the dots and dashes as internationally recognized, and may also be portion, an intermediate vibration spring and a l forward bar connected with the spring, one of said vibration springs being at leasttwice as long.

as the other spring, vertical'p-ivot means connecting each arm shank between the frame bar and the base, a horizontally disposed key bar between said shanks, a vertical pivot means connecting the key bar between the frame bar and base, means upon an end of the key bar facilitatadjusted-according to the personal preference of the operator. Many operators could send a maxi-- mum of twenty-five. words per, minute with the key adjusted for tape sending, but if the dashes were slowed down slightly in relation to the dots they could increase their speed by, perhaps, ten to fifteen words per minute; advantage over a key that permits no resiliency in adjustment or is not variable. certain conditions, such as atmospheric'(static crashes) and interference from radio stationson or near the same frequency, a receiving operator may'request that the sending operator adjust his speed for heavy dots and form his dashes in a heavy manner so as to enable, the code signals to carry through better. With othertypes of sending instruments this could only be' done where the dashes are formed individually and by a separate movement of the'hands, whereas This is a distinct ing its oscillation between said shanks, means adjacent the other end of the key bar facilitating application of lateral thrust selectively to'the arm shanks to facilitate oscillation of the arms,

a member adjustably secured to each arm bar, a

horizontally disposed substantially U-shaped spring secured at one end to that member supported upon the arm having the shorter vibration spring, a substantially U-shaped horizontally dis-.

Also, under posed spring secured at one end to the other member and having a materially greaterlength than the first spring, a contact carried adjacent the other end of the longer U -shaped spring, a fixed contact screw operatively positioned with respect to the contact of the longer U-shaped spring, a fixed contact screw operatively positioned adjacent the free end of the shorter U-shaped spring, a pair of contact members carried upon the free end of the shorter U-shaped spring for selective coaction with the adjacent fixed contact by shifting of theadjustable mem- -ber carrying the sh'orter U-shaped spring, said with the present instrument such heavy dots I may be sent automatically afterthe necessary adjustment of the instrument has been made.

The adjustable member 44 carrying the spring arm 45 also carries the lateragy and upwardly extending movementlimiting finger 53, as shown in Figure 5, which engages across the outer side of the free portion or leg of the spring 45. This serves to make variable the'tension of the dash contact spring against the contactscrew by providing a stop for the dash contact spring and, in conjunction with the spring and the adjacent U-shaped springs and fixed contacts being upon the remote sides of the carrying arms.

2. A telegraph transmitter as set forth in claim 1, including alaterally and upwardly extending finger carried by the adjustable member carrying the longer U-shaped spring and extending across the remote side of thefree end of the said longer U-shaped spring to limit movement of the con.-

tact thereof toward the adjacent fixed contactunder the inherent resilient action of thespring.

MELVIN E. HANSON. 

